Book Review: All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

Book reviews

26 Oct

All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey (Kowalski Family #4)ebookReview copy via NetgalleyCarina Press, 10th September 2012 Synopsis- He won’t stay put for a woman, and she won’t chase after any man…Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he’s called home to help with the family lodge, he’s intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn’t need a man. If there’s one thing Mitch can’t resist, it’s a challenge.After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto “Men are a luxury, not a necessity.” But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she’s tempted to indulge.They’re the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize their sexy affair has become anything but casual…Review- Oh how I love the Kowalski boys! Well done Shannon Stacey for writing another engaging contemporary romance featuring a Kowalski guy and an intelligent, strong woman. I always become so emotionally invested in the hero/ heroine in these books and I just can’t put them down. There’s always a strong chemistry between the characters and the conflict is well fleshed out from the outset to keep me on my toes.Paige has lived her life being dragged around the country for her mother’s romantic pursuits. A woman who always puts the man’s needs before her owns. When Paige drove through Whitford and her car broke down she bought the diner and a trailer and never looked back. Two years in Whitford and she is running a successful diner, leads an independent lifestyle and has no desire for a man in her life. “A man is a luxury, not a necessity” is her motto.That is until the handsome, charming Mitch Kowalski rides into town on his motorcycle and she becomes the target of his desire. Mitch’s attitude is to ‘love ‘em and leave em.’ He doesn’t believe in long-term relationships and is quite happy engaging in a fun night with a woman before moving on to wherever his job takes him. He runs a successful business that requires a lot of travel but has returned to Whitford to help out his brother, Josh. He runs the family lodge and recently broke his leg; he’s miserable and not too happy about Mitch’s plans to overhaul the lodge.Despite numerous rejections, Mitch’s persistence eventually pays off and he strikes up a convenient deal with Paige. He’ll give her a good time and then leave town and never contact her again. This suits him because he doesn’t do relationships and this suits her because she has no intention of dropping her life to chase after a man (as her mother did). But as the line between fling and relationship becomes blurry Mitch and Paige find they’re breaking their own rules.There’s a few little subplots with secondary characters such as Mitch’s brothers Ryan and Josh and Paige’s friends Katie and Hailey and it wouldn’t surprise me if they become leading characters in subsequent novels. Sometimes this annoys me in stories, but Stacey does this subtly with each character having a clear purpose in the story.Stacey is so talented at bringing her characters to life within a loveable small town. The conflict is strong, the tension is hot and I knew I'd get the happily ever after I'd hoped for. I can't wait to read the fifth installment in this series- All He Ever Desired.